68% of local people back a third runway, says the Back Heathrow campaign.

Back Heathrow (the campaign to build the new runway) welcomes the release of a survey revealing that 68% of residents living in neighbouring communities to the airport support a third runway. The key drivers are jobs (backed by 77% of residents) and benefits to the local economy (cited by 50%).

Parmjit Dhanda, Executive Director of Back Heathrow, said:

"This survey reiterates the message of our campaign over very many years. Over 100,000 local people have joined the Back Heathrow campaign. They are the lifeblood of the local economy, with many of them working at the airport or in its vast supply chain. It’s time to listen to the majority of local people and build the new runway.”

Joan Cobb, resident of the Heathrow Villages said:

"My husband and I both benefited from jobs at Heathrow. We live next to the airport and our house would be demolished to make way for the runway. We want the government to create a new runway to build the jobs and opportunities for the next generation. Most of our neighbours feel the same way. We have waited for too long to be able to move on because our home is blighted. We cannot afford another false dawn. "

Back Heathrow is a community campaign representing over 100,000 residents who back expansion at Heathrow airport.

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Notes to editors:

·       The full survey results can be found here: https://mediacentre.heathrow.com/pressrelease/detail/25695